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Engineering colleges can’t change curriculum as rapidly as tech

Academics should focus on getting the basics right, building the right skills, and strengthening the concepts while the industry.

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Aanchal Ghatak
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Sharath Srinivasamurthy1

Academics should focus on getting the basics right, building the right skills, and strengthening the concepts while the industry can train them on specific tools once they join them, feels Sharath Srinivasamurthy, Associate Vice President, Enterprise Solutions & ICT Practices, IDC India.

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With a rapidly changing tech scenario and continuous upgradation of skills, how is the industry able to cope with the issue of employability of new engineering graduates?

The employability of engineering graduates is a pertinent discussion as there is a lot of talk about the skills gap between the graduates that engineering colleges are churning out versus what the industry requires. Off late, we have seen increased collaboration between industry and engineering institutes in terms of refining the course structure to make it contemporary. However, technology is changing rapidly, especially in the last few years, such that engineering colleges will not be able to keep changing their curriculum at the same pace. Academics should focus on getting the basics right, building the right skills, and strengthening the concepts while the industry can train them on specific tools once they join them.

While industries are focusing on hiring in new technology areas like AI, IoT, and space technology, what are the other key areas for hiring?

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Other key technologies that are seeing an uptick in hiring in addition to AI and IoT are technologies around cloud, full-stack development, agile/DevOps, mobile app development, cybersecurity, RPA, and development platforms.

How employable are talents from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in terms of meeting the new-age technology requirements?

I don’t think talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities would be less employable. They are equally competent, and it is an equal playing ground irrespective of where the talent comes from. One of the skills where there might be a bit of challenge for talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities could be soft skills/communication skills which become critical as employees go up the ladder. Institutes in these cities should focus more on improving soft skills/communication skills in addition to imparting technology skills.

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What are the key learnings in the post-Covid landscape of talent demand and supply for India so far?

Covid-19 exposed the gap in digital skills that exist in the market. The spending on digital technologies increased manifold, and IT firms were left scrambling for talent with the right skills which led to a war for talent and a huge increase in salaries. This, in turn, is hurting the bottom line of IT firms now. Covid-19 also accelerated the pace at which existing resources are being re-skilled in digital technologies.

What about the skills that even senior industry leaders themselves have to adopt throughout their careers?

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Senior leaders also need to build knowledge and skills in new technologies to sustain and grow in their roles. Clients would like to engage with people who are technologically savvy and can talk about how they can solve business problems using technology. According to IDC Worldwide CEO Survey, January 2022, “digital know-how” is the No.1 skill that CEOs need which clearly indicates that senior industry leaders need to be abreast with technological advancements.

How is women's participation today, a sign of structural economic changes?

We are seeing increased thrust by enterprises in the area of diversity and inclusion, especially for women employees. We are also seeing a lot of companies running initiatives like “return back-to-work” to encourage women who have taken a break in their careers to rejoin the corporate workforce.

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Attrition is still a problem. How it can be tackled?

There is no one magic formula to tackle attrition. In addition to paying employees on par with industry standards, learning and growth opportunities and conducive work culture that gives freedom to employees to innovate play a critical role in retaining talent. Post Covid-19, providing flexibility to work from remote locations, if needed, is also one of the ways to attract as well as retain good talent.

By Sharath Srinivasamurthy

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Associate Vice President,

Enterprise Solutions & ICT Practices, IDC India

aanchalg@cybermedia.co.in

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